Baseball by the numbers

CINCINNATI, OH - APRIL 30: Anthony Rizzo #44 of the Chicago Cubs watches his two-run home run in the first inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 30, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 477582693

This week’s names and numbers in baseball:

WHITE SOX NINE TO KNOW

1. The Sox finished April 14-15, the seventh time they’ve had that mark since 1901. Their best result in those seasons was 2008, when they won the division with an 89-74 record.

2. The Sox hit .189 with runners in scoring position last April, the worst average in the American League. Their 28 hits were the fewest in the majors. They hit .286 with runners in scoring position this April, and their 79 hits led the majors.

3. Last April, the Sox’ infield hit .245 with seven home runs and 27 RBI (tied for the worst in baseball). This April, the Sox’ infield hit .272 with 16 homers and 77 RBI (the most in baseball).

4. For what it’s worth, the Sox and Cubs each were 19-for-26 in stolen-base attempts in April.

5. Major League Baseball’s leading hitters with runners in scoring position in April were the Indians’ David Murphy at .529, the Brewers’ Aramis Ramirez at .500 and the Sox’ Alexei Ramirez at .438.

6. In the seventh, eighth and ninth innings in April, the Sox and Nationals led the majors in hitting at .275.

7. Alexei Ramirez led the AL in April with a .394 batting average against starting pitchers.

8. In April, Marcus Semien whiffed 25 times against starting pitchers. That was exceeded only by the Pirates’ Starling Marte and the Mariners’ Abraham Almonte (26 each).

1. The Cubs finished April 9-17. They had the same record in 1953, when they finished 65-89, and in 2002, when they finished 67-95.

2. Last April, Anthony Rizzo had 22 hits, 11 walks, 27 strikeouts and eight homers and hit .224 with an OBP of .315. This April, Rizzo had 26 hits, 18 walks, 18 whiffs and four homers and hit .283 with an OBP of .407.

3. Emilio Bonifacio hit .362 in center field and .324 at second base in April.

4. More Bonifacio: He tied the Blue Jays’ Melky Cabrera for most hits leading off an inning in April with 16.

5. Ryan Kalish hit .421 in the Cubs’ nine victories in April but just .179 in their 17 losses.

6. No 0-3 pitcher had a better ERA in April than Jeff Samardzija’s 1.98.

7. The Cubs hit .165 with runners in scoring position last April, the worst average in the majors. Their 32 hits were the fewest in the National League. They hit .201 with runners in scoring position this April, and their 43 hits were 27th in the majors.

He was the Sox’ starter in Game 4 of the 2005 World Series and now pitches in Taiwan.

The Week ahead

The Sox are ‘‘home’’ for two away games at Wrigley Field before heading home to host the Cubs for a pair (you following that?). Then they host the Diamondbacks for three. The Cubs start the week with that four-game series against the Sox, then end the week in Atlanta against the Braves.